Safety must come first on A1 after crash death

The 22-year-old died following a crash at the Castlewellan Road junction on Saturday morning, which left four others injured.

The woman, from London, had been travelling in the car with three other people when their gold Rover 25 collided with a silver Mazda.

Since the crash sympathies have been extended to the woman’s family, and calls have been made for safety to be prioritised particularly at the A1’s junctions.

The accident has yet again highlighted the dangers on our roads, according to Alliance councillor Sheila McQuaid.

“It was only last week that I raised the issue of this dangerous junction with Road Service who are looking to put a slip road in place where this accident has happened,” said Mrs McQuaid.

“Sadly, this accident happened before the Road Service were able to upgrade this junction. I hope they will now prioritise this work to improve safety at such a dangerous junction.”

The issue of central reservations on the A1 has long been a controversial one, with some arguing that the crossing points are dangerous compared to traditional slip roads.

Mrs McQuaid said, “I am extremely saddened by this death. The whole town is shocked by this tragic accident.

“I would like to pass on my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the person who has died. I hope the other three people in this accident will be able to make a recovery from the injuries they have sustained.”

After Saturday’s crash and the road closure which followed local police thanked the public for their co-operation.

PSNI Inspector Humphries said, “The vast majority of motorists co-operated fully with the traffic diversions and displayed respect and consideration for the tragic incident we were dealing with and I would like to extend my gratitude and thanks to all of them.

“The support of the public makes all the difference to officers who are working in extremely difficult and challenging circumstances.”

Inspector Humphries appealed for anyone with any information on the incident to contact police as they continue their investigations.

“We would also like to extend our full sympathy to the family of the young girl who passed away and ask anyone who witnessed the collision or has information in relation to it to contact us in Banbridge on 0845 600 8000.”